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Database Oasis for $21 on Bits duJour Wed, 4/14/2010

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J-Mac:
A "point-and-click" database program is how it's billed. Looks pretty nice, especially to me. I was pretty decent using dBase III+ way back but I have given up on Microsoft Access several times. Every time I want to do anything in Access that VB Editor window opens and it all kinda falls apart - all downhill from there!

If anyone has used or is using Database Oasis please let me know what you think of it. I am considering giving it a try but I respect the views of my DC friends here and would really like some info from people who know the product.

Thanks!

Jim

J-Mac:
Well this certainly didn't generate much interest here!

Just FYI: I did finally go ahead and purchase Database Oasis....  and it ain't all that.   :huh: :-[

So I still am seeking the fairly simple but usable database app!  (Anyone wanna buy a very, very slightly used Database Oasis?)

Thanks!

Jim

gpetrant:
I took a look at it.  I respect their design philosophy (create a simple database app for home users), and I think they succeed on that count.  I am looking for something along those lines, myself, but the two things which were deal breakers for me: you can't compile each Display (database) into a stand-alone which runs without starting the Database Oasis front-end itself, and the field (as well as query) options were too limited for my purposes. 

There seems to be a veritable dearth of database apps which achieve the happy medium I'm looking for: inexpensive, easy to use, yet sophisticated enough to do everything a home/small business user could want.  Database Oasis is well on its way toward that goal, imo, and I hope they continue development. 

What did you like, and what didn't you like, about Database Oasis, J-Mac?

J-Mac:
I took a look at it.  I respect their design philosophy (create a simple database app for home users), and I think they succeed on that count.  I am looking for something along those lines, myself, but the two things which were deal breakers for me: you can't compile each Display (database) into a stand-alone which runs without starting the Database Oasis front-end itself, and the field (as well as query) options were too limited for my purposes.  -gpetrant (April 16, 2010, 11:47 AM)
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I agree that it is a decent effort by the developer, and I wasn’t really trying to trash the app - just express that I was somewhat disappointed. The inability to compile each display doesn’t really bother me that much.

There seems to be a veritable dearth of database apps which achieve the happy medium I'm looking for: inexpensive, easy to use, yet sophisticated enough to do everything a home/small business user could want.
--- End quote ---

Sounds like we are looking for very similar programs.
Database Oasis is well on its way toward that goal, imo, and I hope they continue development.  
--- End quote ---

I am also hopeful; after all I have it now so if it improves that will certainly make me happy!

What did you like, and what didn't you like, about Database Oasis, J-Mac?

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First, the UI doesn’t seem to work to well on my computer here. The text is overly large and therefore a lot of it is cut off at the end of each line. Also, in most cases the bottom ~10% of all text is cut off. See the screen caps below.

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I haven't yet spent much time with the program but the time I did spend wasn’t very good - of course I have only been through the Quick Start documentation; I will also read the user manual - or at least the parts pertinent to what I want to do; the manual is a 298 page PDF document! I will say that the documentation isn't that bad. A CHM Help file plus the Quick Start and Full User manual (both PDF) can be opened from the Help menu. A lot of apps I have picked up lately have no Help docs at all and the Help menu opens your browser to their web page; not so with DB Oasis to their credit.

Anyway I opened a few different Displays and entered some sample data just to get the feel of it. However the next time I open those same displays I cannot find the data I entered. Supposedly when you open a Display with data in it the first entry you made is showing in the display screen; mine is always empty. I tried using Data>Find but it finds no entries. Likewise the Data>Setup List View creates whatever list I configure but there is no data to show. Yet each Display where I entered sample data shows in the Display's Title bar, e.g., Medical Records Display shows "Medical Records: 1 of 1) on its title bar but there is no data showing and none to be found. The only thing I can guess is that I did not enter data for every single field in the display, but I would hope that doesn’t prevent any data at all from showing.

Anyway I guess that the combination of the broken text display and the inability to show the data I entered got me a bit disinterested in it. I did spend a few hours with it trying to resolve the issues I am seeing, but after a few hours I grow weary of troubleshooting a brand-spanking new program! I kinda like 'em to work OK out of the box and then at least let ME break them!!   :D

Thanks!

Jim

wraith808:
First, the UI doesn’t seem to work to well on my computer here. The text is overly large and therefore a lot of it is cut off at the end of each line. Also, in most cases the bottom ~10% of all text is cut off. See the screen caps below.
-J-Mac (April 16, 2010, 12:40 PM)
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Do you use large fonts?  That seems to be the problem from the screenshots that you post.  Many apps aren't developed for large fonts, so when viewed in them, are quite ugly.  It's an easy thing to get around, and I know .NET apps don't seem to have that problem anymore, but in many languages, the developer still has to do it.

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